God. Did anyone else see Wes Streeting practically squirming on Sky News yesterday? Labour's finally admitting what some of us have been saying for months – Reform UK isn't just some flash-in-the-pan protest vote anymore.
The Health Secretary (who I've always thought looks perpetually startled, like someone just told him his fly's been down all day) actually called Farage's party a "real threat" following their Runcorn and Helsby by-election win plus those ten council victories. I nearly spilled my tea when I heard it.
The Alien vs. Predator Showdown Nobody Asked For
Streeting went full Hollywood with his assessment of teh political landscape, comparing the battle between Reform and Conservatives to "Alien vs. Predator" – his words, not mine! "You don't really want either one to win but one of them will emerge as the main challenger to Labour at the next general election."
Ouch.
I was at a dinner party last weekend with some political journalist friends (well, more like acquaintances who tolerate me), and the consensus around the table was that Labour's internal polling must be showing something seriously concerning. Nobody admits a threat unless they're genuinely worried.
Is Anyone Actually Surprised?
Let's be real. Farage has been building this momentum since 2019. I remember interviewing a Reform supporter back then who told me, "Just wait... this isn't about one election." At the time I thought he was delusional. Now I'm wondering if I should've asked for stock tips.
Meanwhile, Conservative co-chairman Nigel Huddleston is doing what Tories do best – downplaying everything while their house burns down. "When they're in a position of delivering things, that's when the shine comes off," he insisted. Sure, mate. Keep telling yourself that while Farage celebrates with champagne and Union Jacks.
Davey's "I Told You So" Moment
Ed Davey – remember him? The Lib Dem leader who once thought falling into a lake was good campaign strategy? – actually made a decent point for once. "The Conservatives have been copying Reform policies, Labour is sounding more and more like Reform," he said, adding that "the way you defeat Nigel Farage is by calling him out."
Not sure Ed's in any position to be giving political strategy advice, but even a broken clock...
Labour's Identity Crisis Gets Messier
This is all happening while Starmer faces an internal rebellion. After promising to go "further and faster" (whatever that means – faster toward what exactly?), Labour MP Dan Carden dramatically declared it's "now life or death" for the government.
I spoke with a Labour staffer last week who's been with the party since 2010. "We're terrified of becoming France," she texted me at 11:43pm, clearly after a few glasses of wine. "The center collapses, the extremes rise. It's happening everywhere."
The Blue Labour group is begging Starmer to "remember who it was built for" and insists he "could be a great prime minister." That "could" is doing some heavy lifting there, isn't it?
What Happens Next?
Back in 2018, I spent three weeks following Farage around for a profile piece that never got published (my editor killed it, saying "nobody cares about this guy anymore" – I wonder where he's working now). The thing that struck me was how patient Farage was. "Politics isn't a sprint," he told me over his third pint. "It's a marathon where they keep moving the finish line."
Looks like he might be crossing that line sooner than anyone expected.
And Labour knows it.
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Did you miss our previous article...
https://hellofaread.com/politics/docs-union-caught-redhanded-pizza-bribery-to-fuel-new-nhs-walkouts
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